Storage heater



March 19, 1929. c. a. 'KLINGEMANN 1,705,574

STORAGE HEATER Filed Jan. 4, 1326 [raven ar- Chap-A2613. @Ljzggemann i i iw Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES CHARLES B. KLINGEMANN, OF SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.

STORAGE HEATER.

Application filed January 4, 1926. Serial No. 79,171.

The present invention, While not necessarily restricted thereto, and having features of more general application, is particularly related to storage tanks in which water is adapted to be heated and stored until ready for use.

A type of storage heater in common use comprises a storage tank provided with steam pipes extending into the tank through an end thereof. The water to be heated is fed into the tank and is supposed to become heated by contact with the steam pipes. This type of heater yields good results when of small dimensions. WVhen the storage tank is quite long, however, the steam pipes, if they extend throughout the length of the tank, become very ineflicient, because the steam condenses in the pipes as a result of the action of the cold water; and if the steam pipes are short, a great deal of the water, as it enters the tank, becomes deflected away from the pipes and can not come into intimate contact therewith, thus becoming insufficiently heated.

It has therefore been proposed to remove the steam pipes from the storage tank, and to heat the water in smaller heaters before directing it into the storage tank. This proposal has many disadvantages that are well known to persons skilled in the art. Other proposals, too, have been tried, with equally unsatisfactory results.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve upon storage heaters of the above-described character, to the end that the water may be more efliciently heated, using apparatus of improved type and economical manufacture. Other objects will be explained hereinafter, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be explained in connection with the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is an elevation of a storage heater constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, parts being broken away for clearness, and other parts being in section.

A storage tank 2 is provided with a lower opening 4 at one end and an upper opening '6 at the other end. Cold-water may be fed into the tank through an inlet pipe 8 that extends into the tank through the lower opening and, after being heated, may be withdrawn from the tank by way of the upper opening 6. The tank is illustrated as of well-known, cylindrical form, provided with 6. The end wall 10 is provided with a circular opening 14 through which a cylindrical shell 16 extends into the tank 2. The

shell 16 is secured to the end wall 10 by wcld-' ing along the circumference of the circular opening l t and is supported near its inner end wall 18 by a strut 20. This construction is very efficient and practical, involves no diffieulties of manufacture, and costs comparatively little to build.

Steam pipes 22 extend into the shell 16 through its outer end wall 24 and are supplied with live steam from any desired source (not shown). The pipes are supported at one end by the wall 24 and at the other end by a strut 25. The shell is provided with a lower opening 26 and two upper openings 28 and 30. The openings 26, 28 and 30 are horizontally spaced from each other along the steam pipes in staggered relation to heat the water more efficiently, as will presently be described. The lower opening 26 is disposed adjacent to and above the tank opening 4, in close proximity to the water inlet pipe 8. The top of the pipe is at about the level of the opening26, but is of smaller diameter, to permit water in the tank to enter the shell in addition to the water from the pipe 8, for a purpose soon to be explained.

In operation, cold 16 through the inlet pipe 8 and by way of the opening 26. The velocity flow of the incoming water produces a syphoning efiect through the opening 26, causing a rapid circulation of the. water in the storage tank. Owing tothe staggered disposition of the openings 28'and 30, the water can not travel directly upward through the shell, but must travel towards both end walls 1.8 and 24;, as well. As the water is confined within the shell 16, it can not escape at a tangent directly into the storage tank, but must continue for a time in intimate contact with the steam pipes 22. It therefore becomes well heated before leaving the shell by way of the openings 28 and 30 into the storage tank. If the heated water is not directly removed from the storage tank, it will tend to become cooled somewhat. The colder water sinking to the bottom of the tank will again enter the shell by way of the space between the pipe 8 and the walls of the opening 26, and will again be caused to travel in intimate contact with the steam pipes 22; becoming heated a secwater will enter the shell disposed 0nd time to a higher degree before leaving the shell by way of the openings 28 and 30. A constant circulation is thus maintained, tending to heat the water more and more.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact embodiment there of that is illustrated and described herein, but that modifications may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from its spirit and scope, as defined by the appended claims.

' lVhat is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a chamber, a shell in the chamber having ends and sides longitudinally connecting the ends, the shell having openings in oppositely disposed sides, and temperatlire-changing means in the shell, a substance whose temperature it is desired to change being adapted to travel through one of the shell openings into the shell into contact with the temperature-changing means.

and out of the shell through another shell opening into the chamber.

' 2. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a chamber, a shell horizontally in the chamber, steam pipes horizontally disposed in the shell, and

means for transversely directing a substance to be heated into the shell into contact with the exterior of the pipes and out of the shell into the chamber.

3. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a chamber provided with an opening, a shell in the chamber having openings, heating means in the shell, and a pipe extending from the chamber opening to one of the shell openings, whereby a fluid to be heated is adapted to be directed through the pipe into the shell into contact with the heating means and out of the shell through another shell opening into the chamber.

l. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a chamber having an end wall provided with an opening, a shell extending horizontally through the opening into the chamber, the inner end of the shell being closed, steam pipes horizontally disposed in the shell, and means for transversely directing a fluid to be heated into the shell into contact with the exterior of the pipes and out of the shell into the chamber.

5. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a tank having an end wall provided with a circular opening, a cy lindrical shell extending through the opening into the tank and welded to the end wall along the circumference of the circular opening, the ends of the shell being closed and the shell being provided with openings in oppositely disposed sides, steam pipes extending through one of the ends of the shell and into the shell, and means for directing a fluid to be heated through one of the shell openings into the shell into contact with the steam pipes and out out the shell through another shell opening into the chamber.

6. Appa 'atus of the character described having, in combination, a storage tank having a lower opening at one endand an upper opening at the other en d, the tank having an end wall provided with a circular opening, a cylindrical shell extending through the circular opening into the tank and welded to the endwall along the circumference of the circular opening, the ends of the shell being closed and the shell being provided with lower and upper openings in staggered relation, steam pipes extending through one of the ends of the shell and into the shell, and means for directing water to be heated from the lower tank opening through a lower shell opening into the shell into contact with the steam pipes and out of the shell through the upper shell openings into the tank, the heated water being adapted to leave the tank by way of the upper tank opening. v

7 Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a chamber, a shell disposed horizontally in the chamber and having closed ends and sideslongitudinally connecting the ends, the shell having openings disposed in the sides at different levels, and heating means in the shell, a fluid to be heated being adapted to travel transversely through a lower opening intothe shell into contact with the heating means and out of the shell through an upper opening into the chamber.

8. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, astorage tank haw ing a lower opening at one end and an upper opening at another end, a shell in the tank having a lower opening disposed adjacent to and above the lower tank opening and a plurality of upper openings horizontally spaced with respect to the lower openings, heating means in'the shell, and a water inlet pipe extending from the lower tank opening to the lower shell opening, whereby water to be heated is adapted to be directed through the pipe into the shell into contact with the heating means and out of the shell through the upper shell openings into the tank, the heated water being adapted to leave the tank by way of the upper tank opening.

9. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a storage tank having a lower opening at one end and an upper opening at another end, the tank having an end wall provided with a circular opening, a cylindriral shell extending through the circular opening into the tank and welded to the end wall along the circumference of the circnlar opening, the ends at the shell being closed and the shell being provided with a lower opening d sposed adjacent to and above the lower tank opening and a plurality of upperopenings hori, ,.uitall.y spaced with respect to the lower opening on both sides of the lower openings, steam pipes ex tending through one of the ends of the shell and into the shell, the shell openings being longitudinally spaced along the steam pipes, and a water inlet pipe extending from the lower tank opening to the lower shell opening, whereby water to be heated is adapted to be directed through the pipe into the shell and water in the tank is adapted to enter the shell through the lower shell opening and to travel into contact with the steam pipes and out of the shell through the upper shell opening into the tank, the heated water being adapted to leave the tank by way of the upper tank opening. I

10. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a chamber, a shell in the chamber, the ends of the shell being closed and the shell being provided with openings in oppositely disposed sides, pipes in the shell adapted to contain a temperattire-changing medium, and means for directing a substance whose temperature it is desired to change through one of the shell openings into the shell into contact with the exterior of the pipes and out of the shell through another shell opening into the chamber.

11. Apparatus of the character descirbed having, in combination, a fluid-containing chamber having an inlet opening, a shell extending horizontally in the chamber and having openings at different levels, one of the shell openings being disposed near the inlet opening, temperature-changing means in the shell for changing the temperature of the fluid in the chamber, and means for direct ing fluid into the chamber through the inlet opening and through the said one shell opening into contact with the temperature-changing means, whereby the fluid directed into the chamber through the inlet opening will cause fluid in the chamber to circulate freely through the shell openings and between the shell and the wall of the chamber and into contact with the temperature-changing means.

12 Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a fluid-containing chamber having an inlet opening, temperatare-changing means in the chamber near the inlet opening for changing the temperature of the fluid in the chamber, a. wall disposed in the chamber near the temperature-changing means between the temperature-changing means and the wall of the chamber and having upper and lower portions at different levels of the temperatiire-changing means to provide a passageway for the free passage of the fluid in the chamber above and below the said upper and lower portions and between the first-named wall and the Wall of the chamber and into contact with the temperature-changing means, and means for directing fluid into the chamber through the inlet opening and into contact with the temperature-changing means, whereby the fluid directed into the chamber through the inlet opening will cause fluid in the chamber to circulate freely along the said passageway into contact with the temperature-changing means.

' 13: Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a fluid-containing chamber having an inlet opening, a shell extending horizontally in the chamber and having a lower opening disposed near the inletopening and a plurality of upper openings, heating'means in the shell, and means for directing fluid into the chamber through the inlet opening and through the lower shell opening into contact with the heating means, whereby the fluid directed into the chamber through the inlet opening will cause fluid in the chamber to circulate freely through the shell openings and between the shell and the wall of the chamber and into contact with the ten'iperatitre-changing means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES B. KLINGEMANN. 

